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Museum: Lynx owners offer to help

El Paso Times Editorial Board

Posted:
12/10/2012 12:00:00 AM MST

Owners of the Lynx Exhibits in Downtown say they will begin accruing what hopefully will become the workings of the new children's museum. This could be another example of public-private partnership benefitting El Paso.

Using their private property Downtown, Mike Churchman and Laurie Paternoster say they can use their nonprofit tax exempt status to have the makings of a modern children's interactive museum ready when the building to house the new children's museum is completed. As a first step, the two will transform into the "El Paso Exploreum" next month, a living laboratory museum for children.

This comes at a time when the city's present children's museum, Insights, will be razed to make way for a new Downtown ballpark. There are plans to have Insights transform into a museum on wheels -- or the "Museum Without Walls -- with some of its exhibits being taken to area schools, social events and festivals. That is a good idea.

The long-term plan is to have Exploreum, Insights and other private investors create a public-private partnership with the city.

Churchman explained that their recently acquired 501(c)(3) status means they can begin applying for grants and use the money to purchase the inner workings of a children's science center now.

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What's accrued will be offered to the city. Paternoster said this has been their plan -- their legacy is to leave El Paso with a first-class children's museum. Churchman said their profit will come from eventually selling their Downtown property. Their Lynx Exhibits has been in operation since 2007.

One of the public-private benefits is that projects can get off the ground much faster. One example is the Downtown ballpark, to be up and ready for play in April 2014.

The "private" MountainStar Sports Group recently purchased the San Diego Padres' Triple-A baseball franchise. MountainStar has a contract to move the franchise from Tucson, Ariz., to El Paso when the new Downtown ballpark is built. In exchange, the city ("public") has a contract with MountainStar to build a Triple-A-level stadium in Downtown. The $50 million ballpark will be financed mainly by a percentage of Hotel Occupancy Tax money, which is money out-of-towners are charged for staying overnight in El Paso hotel rooms.

The new children's museum was part of a quality-of-life bond issue approved by voters in November. There were several projects approved, including a cultural center and multi-purpose entertainment facility on what was Proposition 2 ($228.25 million).

The order in which these projects are to be completed has not been determined. Churchman said he thought the children's museum is three to five years down the road.

The site and other details are being worked out by a committee of civic leaders and museum experts. It's expected it will follow along the lines of the acclaimed Explora Science Center & Childrens Museum in Albuquerque.

Here, Churchman's and Paternoster's Exploreum is set to open in January. It will be located next to the present Lynx site at 320 W. San Antonio. As with Lynx, it will continue to have traveling exhibits. And the public will b e asked to vote on what Exploreum will have as permanent exhibits.

Churchman and Paternoster are offering what looks like a good deal for the city and for the citizens of El Paso.

Make plans

What: El Paso Exploreum, a living laboratory museum for children.

When: Opens Jan. 26. Hours are pending, but it will be open daily.

Where: 320 W. San Antonio, next to the Lynx Exhibits.

How much: $6 to $8, with special group pricing available. Free admission every third Tuesday of the moth.

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